SFIA Role Mapping and Platform Consultant

Spektrum supports apex purchasers (NATO UN EU and National Government and Defence) and their Tier 1 supplier ecosystem with a wide range of specialist services. We provide our clients with professional services specialised aerospace and defence sales delivery and operational subject matter expertise. We are looking for personnel to join our team and support key client projects.

Who we are supporting

The NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA) is responsible for providing secure and effective communications and information technology (IT) services to NATOs member countries and its partners. The agency was established in 2012 and is headquartered in Brussels Belgium.

The NCIA provides a wide range of services including:

• Cyber Security: The NCIA provides advanced cybersecurity solutions to protect NATOs communication networks and information systems against cyber threats.
• Command and Control Systems: The NCIA develops and maintains the systems used by NATOs military commanders to plan and execute operations.
• Satellite Communications: The NCIA provides satellite communications services to enable secure and reliable communications between NATO forces.
• Electronic Warfare: The NCIA provides electronic warfare services to support NATOs mission to detect deny and defeat threats to its communication networks.
• Information Management: The NCIA manages NATOs information technology infrastructure including its databases applications and servers.

Overall the NCIA plays a critical role in ensuring the security and effectiveness of NATOs communication and information technology capabilities.

The program

Assistance and Advisory Service (AAS)

The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) is NATOs principal C3 capability deliverer and CIS service provider. It provides maintains and defends the NATO enterprisewide information technology infrastructure to enable Allies to consult together under Article IV and when required stand together in the face of attack under Article V.

To provide these critical services in the modern evolving dynamic environment the NCI Agency needs to build and maintain high performanceengaged workforce. The NCI Agency workforce strategically consists of three major categorises: NATO International Civilians (NIC)s Military (Mil) and Interim Workforce Consultants (IWC)s. The IWCs are a critical part of the overall NCI Agency workforce and make up approximately 15 percent of the total workforce.

Role ID

Role Background

The NATO Communications and Information (NCI) Academy conducted a proofof concept NATO Enterprise Cybersecurity Role Mapping initiative in 2023 and 2024 as a part of a strategic cybersecurity Learning & Development (L&D) programme for the NATO Enterprise led by the NATO Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO).

The aim of this initiative was to identify commercial and NATO L&D training solutions via the mapping of NATO Enterprise cybersecurity Job Descriptions (JDs) to the following two industrystandard competency frameworks:

• National Institute for Cybersecurity Education (NICE)
• Skills For the Information Age (SFIA)

NATO is currently standardising the way it describes Information and Communication Technology (ICT) roles1 in terms of skills. The NCI Academy is mapping each NATO Enterprise ICT role to the SFIA framework in order to describe the respective skills along with their corresponding responsibility levels; and associated L&D training solutions.

Role Duties and Responsibilities

Provide SFIA Framework Consultancy

Establish SFIA V8 process for the NATO mapping baseline and develop plan for future transitions to SFIA V9.

Deliverables:

• Support NATO entities in development of internal SFIA mappings.
• SFIA implementation methodology customised for the NATO Enterprise.
• Transition plan for future SFIA versions (e.g. SFIA V9).

Analyse NATO Enterprise Role Mappings

Analyse existing NATO Enterprise ICT role inventory; review JDs and role requirements; and harmonise role variations across different NATO Enterprise entities.

Deliverables:

• Comprehensive analysis of NATO Enterprise ICT roles inventory.
• Role categorisation and standardisation report.
• Role harmonisation recommendations.

Develop NATO SFIA Mapping Capabilities

Develop NATO entities mapping capabilities and (when necessary) map NATO Enterprise ICT roles to SFIA framework skills determining appropriate skill levels for each role.

Deliverables:

• Up to 5000 NATO ICT role profiles mapped to SFIA skills and levels.
• Mapping methodology documentation.
• Final validated SFIA mappings.

Conduct NATO Skills Gap Analysis

Identify skill gaps against 20 SFIA illustrative skills profiles2 in order to prioritise training needs by criticality and impact. Subsequently map skill gaps to NATO and commercial L&D training solutions.

Deliverables:

• Skills gap analysis report.
• Prioritised L&D training recommendations.
• Database of mapped L&D training solutions to SFIA skills/ levels.

Implement Secure Platform Setup

Provide access to COTS secure webbased platform architecture.

Deliverables:

• Rolebased access control for up to 150 users in an operational webbased platform.
• Permissionbased access control system.

Integrate SFIA Framework and Role Profiles

Import validated NATO ICT role profiles and implement mapping visualization tools.

Deliverables:

• SFIA V8 framework integration.
• Version update mechanism.
• Import NATO ICT role profiles.
• RoletoSFIA mapping visualisations (such as heat maps).

Implement L&D Training Recommendation Database

Implement database of commercial and NATO L&D training solutions mapped to SFIA and develop L&D training recommendation system.

Deliverable:

• L&D training management dashboard with training solution database linked to SFIA skills.
• L&D training recommendation and prioritisation functionality.
• Cost tracking system.

Implement Assessment and Analytics

Configure selfassessment capabilities and implement manager validation functionality with 360degree feedback system.

Deliverable:

• Selfassessment tools.
• Manager validation interface.
• 360degree feedback system.
• Comprehensive analytics dashboard.

Conduct Training and knowledge transfer

Develop admin and user training materials to build knowledge base through help resources and video tutorials.

Deliverable:

• Administrator and user guides and training materials.
• Platform documentation.
• Knowledge base.
• Training videos.

Deliver Support and Maintenance

Provide 12month technical support and perform regular maintenance and updates.

Deliverable:

• Technical support SLA documentation.
• Maintenance schedule.
• A dedicated account manager.
• Escalation procedures documentation.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Experience with creating skillsbased job profiles for ICT roles using the SFIA framework.
• SFIA accredited partner.
• Represented on SFIA Foundations Council.
• Experience with mapping job roles in large international organisations to the SFIA framework and relevant organisation specific AND commercial training offerings.
• Experience with operating secure online COTS technical platforms to support competency based talent management/ job role mappings in a large international organisation with a (partially) military staff.
• Experience with visualising SFIA job profiles and associated L&D training recommendations.
• Able to provide a job and competency library that incorporates all functional areas of an organisation including nondigital skills.
• Mapped learning catalogues to SFIA skills and the capability to map others using AI enabled tools.
• Demonstrate a close working relationship with the Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) and supports the use of the CIISec framework.
• Demonstrable experience of working with large international organisations and extensive and recent experience with SFIA8 mapping.
• The organisation must demonstrable previous experience of hosting SFIA8 mappings in a secure online platform with access limited to users with appropriate credentials and permissions.
• Strong project management skills.

Technical Requirements for a NATO Enterprise ICT Role Mapping Platform

User Management

• Ability to support rolebased access control (admin manager user).
• Ability to support user profile management.
• Configurable permissions system.

Integration Capabilities

• API availability for integration with NATO Enterprise learning and/ or NATO HR platforms.
• Automated data import/ export functionality.

Security and Compliance

• Ability to support NATO data protection requirements.
• Regular security updates.
• Audit logging capabilities.

System Performance

• Ability to support specified number (TBC) of concurrent users.
• Defined performance metrics.
• Scalability provisions for organisational growth and/ or increase in demand for service.
• Availability requirement: 99% uptime.

AI Mapping Capabilities

• AI solution must be capable of analysing NATO JDs to SFIA skills and (commercial and NATO) L&D training recommendations (Competencyto learning mapping services).
• Must have demonstrable previous experience of AI implementation for SFIA mappings.
• Feedback loops to improve AI solution.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• ISO 27001:2022 accredited.
• Experience with working in an international environment comprising both military and civilian elements.
• Experience with developing online competency platforms with the NCI Academy.

Working Location

• Remote

Working Policy

• OffSite

Travel

• Some travel to other NATO sites may be required

Security Clearance

• Valid National or NATO Secret personal security clearance